Gratitude
by EliKrane1982
Summary: A dire situation leads to reconciliation for Jane and Kurt.


Jane's lungs were on fire.

She'd ditched the bike. Knowing Weller would be close behind, but she couldn't wait. There was no time left.

How could he have been so stupid? So reckless?

Every limb felt like it wanted to rip itself from her body, her breath tore her throat and her eyes were scorched smoke red.

None of that mattered. None of it.

Only one thing mattered. Only one thing drove her forward.

She had to kill him.

Before he killed them.

—

Allie blinked into the darkness. A piece of cloth was tightly secured over her eyes, her wrists and ankles were bound painfully to a heavy wooden chair, the bonds so tight her hands and feet were going numb.

"Come on, Kurt." She whispered into the inky blackness. It was a desperate plea, and Allie was not prone to desperation.

But this time was different. This time she was terrified.

Terrified for her child. Terrified, because now it wasn't just her life on the line. All those years of only looking out for herself seemed unreal compared to the little light growing in her belly. Something to live for. To fight for.

"Come on, Kurt"

—

Cade entered the house through the back door. Breathing hard. He felt wired and out of control.

It was time to put an end to this whole scorched crater of a plan.

He'd been so sure it would work. It seemed so simple. Kidnap Weller's ex. Use her as a bargaining chip. A simple exchange. Allie for Jane.

Jane had offered herself up willingly. As he knew she would. They met at a spot he had chosen, and it seemed to him he would finally get the revenge he had craved for so long. A shame Oscar wouldn't be there to see it but Cade would've made peace with that.

But that bastard Weller had blown it. Followed Jane with his team, hoping to catch Cade off guard.

But Cade was never off guard.

Apparently Weller still wasn't willing to let go of Jane and had taken a calculated gamble. High risk, and Cade had escaped.

And now Weller's gamble was about to cost him everything.

—

Allie stiffened as the basement door opened.

She remained silent. Footsteps on the stairs.

Finally, she could stand it no longer. "Kurt?"

"No," hissed Cade. He lifted his gun. Barrel aimed squarely at Allie's forehead. "Agent Weller won't be coming, I'm afraid."

He clicked off the safety.

"Please," begged Allie. "I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant."

Cade hesitated.

Jane did not.

She shot him from the top of the basement stairs. If Cade had stayed alive long enough he might have even been impressed. But the shot was clean, and Cade was dead before he even hit the floor.

—

The hospital was a blur. Jane stayed with Allie as long as she could but eventually they were separated. Allie hurried away by frantic looking doctors and Jane left alone in a bustling waiting room with the usual Friday crowd of drunks and misfits.

Suddenly, there was Weller. Looking at her, concern etched in his face, about to follow Allie but then turning back.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

She shook her head, unable to process. Everything moving too fast.

Weller turned to two men, who Jane quickly realised were her detail.

"Take her home."

At that, Jane found her voice. "I'm staying here."

Weller looked for a moment like his emotions might overwhelm him.

"Go home, Jane. Please."

And then he was gone.

—

The bourbon helped, but not much.

Jane sat slumped at her dining room table, feeling spent and useless. The weight of the last six months lay heavily on her shoulders. Too much. It was all too much.

Patterson had texted her. Allie and the baby were going to be fine. She was sleeping. They were keeping her in overnight for observation, but they were positive there would be no lasting effects.

Relief had flooded over her like a warm wave.

There had been nothing from Weller.

Not that she blamed him. This was the second time now she'd almost destroyed his family. This latest mess would no doubt push their relationship past a tipping point, into an abyss there would be no coming back from.

She felt tears sting her eyes and wiped them angrily away.

"Stop it." She said through gritted teeth. "You did this."

She was startled by knock at the door.

She stood up warily. Roman? He could have easily taken out her detail. Had they found out about Cade?

Perhaps Shepard had come to kill her. That would be a fitting end. Killed by her own adoptive mother.

Jane didn't even bother to pick up her gun. Resigned to whatever came next she opened the door, letting in the a cool night breeze and a soft warm rain.

Weller.

Standing on her front step in the rain. His hair and clothes soaked through. His eyes red and raw, looking at her with an intensity she hadn't felt since they'd first met.

He stepped closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers.

She looked up at him, not daring to breath for fear of breaking the spell. She wanted to stay in this moment of uncertainty, breathing in the scent of his wet skin.

And then he spoke, his voice a hoarse whisper, wracked with emotion.

"Thank you."

And before she could respond his lips were on hers. Hungry and tender all at once. He stepped forward and she pulled him in, out of the rain and into her arms.

She tasted the salt of his tears, and he spoke quietly between kisses, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you" Desperate to make her see. To make her understand.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry." he said.

Jane felt her own tears begin to fall. This time she let them.

"I should never have let them take you." Weller was shaking his head, unable to meet her eyes. "I should have tried harder, looked harder. I just…"

He paused, unable to articulate what she knew he wanted to say.

"You were hurt." She said, brushing her nose gently against his.

"Yeah," he whispered ",but I shouldn't have let you get hurt. It keeps me up at night, thinking about how I let them hurt you."

"Shhhh," Jane soothed him, pressing her lips against his, softly, slowly.

"Let me show you where they hurt me."

Jane looked up at him, feeling better than she could ever remember feeling, savouring the sudden warm sensation deep in her stomach.

"Let me show you where they hurt me, and you can kiss it better."


End file.
